Ovulation anyone?: My first ovulation after Bee Fertile regimen

So, this cycle is dramatically different than the last few since taking Bee Fertile. I'm fairly sure I have already ovulated or am about to. And dear readers, as you know I love to make lists, so get ready.

•  I got my first High on my CBEFM on Thursday, so I'm fairly certain I am at my Peak this weekend. I wasn't able to continue my CBEFM, so I can't say what it would've measured. 
• Also, have had a lot of EWCM lately. 
• Seriously high sense of smell. But like usual it comes and goes.
• I also have an increased sense of taste to go along with that. Some things taste awful that I know I like. 
• Frequent need to urinate--I don't know if I am drinking more liquid and how this connects to it, but I get the familiar feeling of needing to more often.
• Breast Tenderness--mostly nipples, sometimes the sides. This has been coming on since Monday or Tuesday. It's much stronger than it has been in the anovulatory cycles.
• Fatigue/Trouble sleeping--I put these together because I don't know if the fatigue is due to the trouble sleeping or exacerbated by it. I've had at least 2-3 nights this week of difficulty falling asleep, waking early, or restless sleep. 
• Bloating in the last two days.
• I had a high temp yesterday, but I discarded it because I woke really early and had restless sleep.

These are classic ovulation signs for me; I don't know if they are so strong now due to not ovulating lately, or some changes in my hormone levels due to the Bee Fertile. I guess we'll wait and see!

What does it mean when your cycle is messed up?

That is what I ask myself. Yes, cycle's change. You can have a consistent pattern six cycles in a row, and just when you seem to have identified the pattern, it changes. If ONLY for that one cycle. Just to show you that you can't ever be definite when it comes to your body.  I don't know how many times I've seen posts on forums or pregnancy sites claiming that "royal jelly messed up my cycle!" Replace the underlined word with the newest supplement to be touted as the infertility cure. I've seen it said about Soy Isoflavones, Vitex (chasteberry), and any number of other blends or new supplements.

Here is the cold hard truth. These supplements are supposed to make your cycle change. Yeah. I said it.

When something changes that is good, we sigh in relief or jump for joy and think, "Yes! It worked" or something to that effect. When something changes that is not what we were hoping for or expecting, it messed it up or didn't work.  After 3 years of attempting to conceive successfully, I will admit that many (ok, most) of the times that my cycle took a drastic turn, I was moaning and complaining with the rest of my TTC pals. But later, because hindsight is 20/20, I saw how perhaps these changes, although not the immediate miracle I was longing for, these changes are what just might push me towards that happy ending in the form of a healthier cycle.

The first time I tried Royal Jelly, I loathed the increase in PMS symptoms AFTER AF, that made me insanely paranoid that I had actually become pregnant but was having early bleeding. Which when you think about it, isn't a great sign anyway. BUT, one thing I did notice about my flow, was it turned from dark and clotty, to thin, bright red. Almost really EWCM with blood. And from what I've read, a bright red, non-clotty flow is a healthy one. So, although it was inaugurated by some killer cramps, the likes of which I had not seen since my teen years, I took this as a sign I was headed in the right direction.

So to sum up the good things that happened when my cycle "messed up":

1. Healthier, cleaner flow
2. Symptoms more similar to adolescence, which let's face it, are generally more fertile than your 30's . 
3. Lengthening of LP to just around 11-12 consistently. Also, spotting before AF is now negligible, and sometimes absent.

So, I recognized a temp pattern in my early pre-O temps. Around 5-7 days after a "false O" that occurs about the 2nd week of my cycle (CD's 7-12), I get my true O. I have to say what was most frustrating to me was my CBEFM! After 2 lows, I just kept getting Highs. And 3 days after FF gave me cross hairs, still only High! I will say though, that looking at the sticks, they've read closer to lows that I've had in the past. The closest to a Peak was about 3 days before FF said I O'd, where both lines were present, but quite faint. 

Yet, here is my chart today. 

9 days later I get my O. 2 days past the longest stretch between my "false O" and true O. Plus no High on my CBEFM. But as you can see, my clear Fall-back rise pattern, which has only failed me a few times. So I'm sold. Goodbye CBEFM, I might give you ONE more shot next cycle. But did the Bee Fertile "mess up" this cycle? Not really. Because in order to fix something, sometimes you have rebuild it piece by piece. Lay the foundation, shift a few things here, add some things there, and eventually, your building is functioning more effectively. But it takes time, and sometimes it won't work right away. 

Besides, if you read the literature on Bee Fertile, it is not claiming a quick fix. It lets you know that it becomes most effective after 3 cycles. If you get knocked up in cycle 1 or 2, you're just lucky!  I hope I get that luck!

Disclaimer: Although the Bee Fertile supplements were provided to me at no charge, all opinions are my own. Trust me, I 'll give you the good, bad and in-between with an un-varnished eye!

Strange chart

So, I'm trying SO hard to stay off of the computer. I at least have to get on to update my charts at Fertility Friend and Countdown to Pregnancy.

I have noticed this cycle more than last my pre-O temps are super high. Other than one or three that are in regular pre-O range the rest are 98.0 and above. The last 2 temps I had to temp adjust because my urge to pee in the morning has been so strong. I don't really think I have changed much my drinking habits at night.

Also, I've had a super high sense of smell the last two days. It is something I usually get around O, but I haven't had other classic O symptoms. I have been trying to assess my CM, but it seems at most Creamy---one day it seemed watery, but I downgraded it. Also, the most fertile my CP got was MM-. Still not quite there.

Yet, I did a little advance experimentation with FF. I entered two more temps at about the same temp I am now (98.2) and FF gave me dotted CH on CD9! That would be a SUPER early O, plus I would have one day of unprotected intercourse around 4 days before O. Not great odds, but possible. I don't really think that I O'd then, but I have to wonder.

The last recorded OPKs were around CD4 and CD5 (BD on CD5). Those so far were the closest to positive as I had a medium darkish line, but still nowhere near positive. The last two days my OPKs have been completely and utterly BFN---there was no line whatsoever. Also, I've learned to slightly interpret my CBEFM sticks and those were really negative. The estrogen is super high and the LH is almost non-existent. Going by that, I'd say I haven't O'd at all, and could be another week or so away from it.

Time will tell. If I JUST look at my PMS symptoms (sore side bb, backache, higher sense of smell, etc) I would say I have just O'd. But NONE of my other fertility signs (except possibly BBT?) agree with it.

Sometimes I really hate charting. 

Why?

Well, today I had a HUGE temp drop. And because my chart was only tenuously holding on to ovulation, FF decided I had not yet ovulated.

I asked a doctor friend at work today if it is possible to PMS without ovulation. She asked a few clarifying questions and she said it could be possible to have PMS symptoms without ovulating. I didn't have time to go into specifics.

So, now I must face yet another annovulatory cycle...no spotting today, so hopefully AF will show up soon and we can get going on this next cycle!! I have now been off of the prolactin-inducing medication for about a week so let's hope by the time my period starts it will allow me to ovulate...I suppose I should set up another appointment with my OB/GYN.